Target trap



Aug. 18, 1931. P. NORTH 1,819,567

TARGET TRAP Filgd Jan. 10, 1931 Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL NORTH, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHAMBERLAIN CARTRIDGE & TAB-GET COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO TARGET TRAP Application filed January 10,1931; Serial No.-507,841.

This invention relates to target traps, and more particularlyto the shovel type of throwing arms or carriers for such traps.

As is well known to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, the ordinary shovel type of throwing arm or carrier is pivoted at one end and is provided with a base for the reception of the targets, being provided at one side with a flange along which one or two targets roll under the influence of centrifugal action, as the carrier is rotated, leaving the carrier at the end of such flange which is most remote fromthe pivot.

Carriers of this type havebeen constructed heretofore of aluminum, "for the purpose of securing the necessary lightness in weight to prevent destructive racking of the traps by intercepting or stopping the movement of such carriers at the ends of their throwing strokes or operations; also for the purpose of enabling the carriers to be effectively intercepted and stopped at the ends of their respective throwing movements.

As bases of the shovel carriers have been constructed heretofore, the width of the bases of the same has been equal to thediameters of the targets thrown thereby; and, in order to secure the desired degree of lightness, a considerable proportion of the metal of each such base has been removed by perforating the base. 7

It has been found that the employment of shovel carriers of the construction described has resulted in the breakage of a considerable proportion of the targets thrown thereby.

This breakage is due in part to the fact that the surface of the base along which the targets roll is sufficiently rough to impart a wobbling, fluttering or vibratory motion to the targets moving therealong, which will cause a considerable proportion of the targets to break while traveling at high speed. This wobbling, fluttering, or vibratory motionis increased by the openings vwhich have been provided'for the purpose of lightening the weight of the carriers, due to the passage of air through these openings while the targets are traversing the carriers.

It is the general purpose and object of this invention to provide for, target traps of the character referred to a throwing arm or carrier of the shovel type which will possess the requisite degree of lightness to avoid racking the machine and to permit stopping'the carrier at the desired point in its travel, while reducing to a minimum the breakage of targets due to the causes explained hereinbefore.

arm applied thereto and embodying my invention; Fig. 2a plan View, and Fig. 3 a side elevation, of the said carrier or throwing arm; Fig. 4 a bottom'plan view of the carrier or throwing arm; and Fig. 5 a detail in section corresponding to the line 55 of Fig. 2. j i Describing by reference characters the Various parts illustrated herein, 1 denotes a base and 2 the frame of a target trap, which trap maybe of the type shown, described, and claimed in the patent to Spangler No. 1,771,865, issued July 29, 1930 and compris ing generally'a throwing shaft 3 having at its upper end a crank 4 to which the carrier, indicated generally at 5, is connected, as by a bolt 6. The lower end of the shaft is connected by intermediate connections 7 and 8 with a rod 9 connected to the throwing spring 10, the'opposite end of the said spring being connected by a rod 11 with an arm 12 which is pivoted at 13 and connected at its opposite end with the pull rod 1 1. 15 denotes a sliding rod which is connected at one end to the lever 16 which is adapted to engage a stud 4? depending from the crank arm 4: andnormally hold the carrier 5 in the throwing position shown in Fig. 1. The lever is held in studengaging position by means of'the spring 17 surrounding the stem and hearing at one end against the stop 18 and at its other end against the collar 19 on the said rod, the movement of the lever from stud-engaging position being normally'prevented by the engagement of the rod 15 with the arm 12.' The parts -1 to 4: inclusive and 6 to 19 inclusive may be of the construction shown and described more parof the base-,1 employ an ticularly in the Spangler patents and, in their details, form no part of the invention intended to be protected hereby.

The carrier is provided at one end with a reduced extension 20 having an aperture 21 therethroughby which the carrier is pivota-lly mounted on: top of the shaft and is also provided with an opening 22 for the reception of the bolt 6 by which it is secured to the crank arm 4s. The carrier is of the general shape of the shovel carriers referred to'here; inbefore, but consists in general of a two-part base comprising a thin upper ply or sheet 23' of steel and a lower plate 24 of aluminum. In practice, I have employed for the upper ply or member of the base steel having a thickness of .018 inch. For the lower member aluminum plate of substantially the same outline as the steel p'l ate (but somewhat wider, as will appear more particularly from Fig. 2); the aluminum base portion being the part that is provided with the extension- 20 and also having adjacent to the pivotally supported end there of a short upwardlyprojecting rib 25 located rearwardly of the rear edge of the upper ply or member and shown as provided with integral short posts 26 which support the flange (indicated generally at 27) along which the targets roll as the carrier is rotated. The

rib 25 preferably does' not extend the full lengthof the aluminum base member, and

additional posts 26 project from the rear edge of the said member andcooperate wi-th the posts 26 in supporting the flange.

In order toobtain the necessary lightness in the complete arm, I have found that I can make the base of the carrier approximately two-thirds the width of the all-aluminum bases heretofore employed and, because of the smoothness and freedom from access of air to and below the targets (due to the continuous smooth surface of the upper steel member of the base) I am able to throw the targets efficiently and, in addition, to accomplish this result without breakage due to wobblin-g, fluttering, or vibratory movements thereof during their travel. As a further means for securing the lightening of the carrier, I have reduced the thickness of the central portion of the aluminum base member by recessing the same upwardly, as shown at 28 l have also reduced the weight further by removing a large proportion of the aluminum member intermediate the thickened reinforc ing edge portions 28 28 thereof, as indicated by the openings 29, 29. The upper and lower base members are conveniently united by rivets 30, the upper heads of which are flush with the upper face of the sheet steel member The flange 27 referred to hereinbefore may be of standard construction and comprises generally a channel-shaped metal member carrying a rubber 31, similar to a squeegee,

the flange being secured to the posts 26 and 26 by screws 32.

Due to the manner of constructing the carier, I am enabled to obtain a carrier which obviates the breakage due to the wobbling, fluttering, or vibration of the targets as they travel along the carrier in contact with the rubber member 31 of the flange and I am enabled to obtain this result with the employment of acarrier which is approximately as light as the former all-aluminum carriers. The steel upper member or plate 23 strengthens the aluminum (which has been lightened in the manner described hereinbefore) so that the base will stand up, notwithstanding such lightening; and at the same time this steel plate providesa far smoother surface for the targets to travel along thanisobtainable by the use of aluminum, thereby reducingithe liability of the targets to wobble, flutter or vibrate while traversing: the same. Furthermore, as pointed out hereinbefore, a carrier armconstructed in accordance with my in vention is relatively inexpensive of production.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: c

1. A. carrier for a target trap comprising a base having a bottom supporting member of grel-atively light metal and an upper member secured to the former member, the latter 'member being. of relatively strong thin sheet metal having, a smooth upper surface adapted to be traversed by the targets under-the influence of centrifugal force.

2. A carrier for a target trap comprising a base having a. bottom supporting member of relatively lightmaterial and an upper target engaging member supported by the former member, the latter member being a relatively strong, thin! sheet having a smooth upper surface adapted to be traversed by the targets under the influence of centrifugal action.

3. A carrier for a target trap comprising a bottom. supporting member of relatively light metal and having secured to the upper surface thereof an upper member comprising a thin sheet of relatively strong and heavier metal, the said sheet having a smooth upper surface along which the targets may travel by centrifugal action, the lower member having its lower surface recessed or depressed upwardly within the edges thereof and having an upper surface adapted to be engaged by the bottom of the upper member.

4. A carrier for a target trap comprising a lower supporting member made of relatively light metal and having secured to the upper surface thereof an upper member comprising a thin sheet of relatively strong and heavier metal, the said sheet having a smooth upper surface along which the targets may travel by centrifugal action, the lower member having its lower surface recessed or de- Ill pressed upwardly between the edges thereof and having such upwardly depressed portion provided with apertures therethrough, said lower member providing an upper plane surface adapted to engage and support the lower surface of the upper member and having vertically thickened edges.

5. A carrier for a target trap comprising a bottom supporting member of relatively light metal and having secured to the upper surface thereof an upper member comprising a thin sheet of relatively strong and heavier metal, the said sheet having a smooth upper surface along which the targets may travel by centrifugal action, the lower member having posts projecting upwardly from the rear edge thereof, and a flange secured to said posts and arranged to engage the peripheral portions of the targets which travel along the upper surface of the upper sheet.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

PAUL NORTH. 

